The Union County Board of Education enacted a small property tax cut in a called meeting on Thursday, Oct. 9, with the adoption of a 2025 millage rate that is lower than the calculated rollback.
Millage rates are figured based on budget projections to provide public services for another year, in this case, to continue educating the children of Union County during Fiscal Year 2026.
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Rollback rates reflect the offsetting value of Local Option Sales Tax collections on gross property taxes. To prevent indirect tax increases due to inflation, the state requires that rollback calculations produce a revenue-neutral levy from year to year.
So, going below the rollback means the School Board and Central Office have budgeted the ability to maintain operations with fewer property tax dollars than were collected for last year’s levy.
“The actual rollback rate was 6.928, but we estimated the rate of 6.853 based on the digest numbers we were given in July,” Chief Operations Officer Karen Bundy said previously. “We are going to honor the estimate to reduce the taxpayers’ property taxes even further.”
With the slight reduction, the School Board is estimated to receive about $171,000 less in property tax collections versus 2024, making for a 0.87% reduction in the total levy. But that’s OK since the Central Office made its operating budget with the lower rate in mind.
Sole Commissioner Harold Collins has adopted the rollback rate for the county portion of property taxes, as has the City of Blairsville for property owners inside city limits, so the combined millage rates should mean a slight reduction on most property tax bills for 2025.
Also in the Oct. 9 meeting, Superintendent John Hill and Accountability & Compliance Director Dr. David Murphy surprised board members by announcing that the Georgia School Boards Association had named the Union County Board of Education an “Exemplary Board” for 2025.
“This honor underscores the board’s steadfast commitment to effective governance, continuous improvement, transparency, and collaboration, all of which contribute to fostering strong schools and maximizing opportunities for every student in the district,” according to the Central Office.
As part of the application process, the board “met and exceeded” rigorous criteria to earn Exemplary status – the highest level of achievement in the recognition program. The other two levels of recognition are Quality Board and Distinguished Board.
“It’s a designation that you are doing everything to the highest degree possible,” Murphy explained. “Your oversight is where it should be, you’re focusing on the areas that you should be focusing on.
“You are trying to be the best board possible, and according to this Exemplary status, you have reached that mark.”
The accolade comes on the heels of many achievements this year, including multiple accreditations such as for the CTAE, College & Career Academy and STEM programs, state charter renewal, and the opening of the new Elementary School paid entirely with E-SPLOST.
“Receiving this recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our School Board,” Superintendent Hill said. “We are committed to making decisions that strengthen our schools, support our staff and prepare our students for success.”
Board members received a round of applause and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of local schoolchildren and the community. The School Board is Janna Akins, Julia Barnett, Tony Hunter, Jason McCarter and Patrick White.
They will be honored in an awards ceremony during the annual conference of the Georgia School Board Association and Georgia School Superintendents Association at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel in Atlanta on Dec. 5.
“We at GSBA are thrilled to showcase the achievements of our boards of education throughout the year,” GSBA President Amy Murphy said in the announcement. “Your team’s hard work and dedication create a culture of good governance and student success across the state.”
